1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for providing portable oxygen delivery to animals. Embodiments of the present invention are alternatively suitable for delivery of other fluids.
2. Background
The following discussion refers to information that is given for more complete background and is not to be construed as an admission that such information is prior art for patentability determination purposes.
There are two products currently available that provide oxygen to animals, but they are not portable oxygen devices. One is Aerodawg® (U.S. Trademark Registration No. 3280408, owned by Trudell Medical International Trudell Partnership Holdings Limited and Packard Medical Supply Centre Ltd.), invented by Dr. Philip Padrid. This device is a breathing chamber that is held over a dog's nose and mouth to supply inhaled aerosol medications. However, it must be held in place for only a few seconds at a time to prevent the delivery of an overdose by an attending human.
Similarly, there is an oxygen mask for dogs made and distributed by Invisible Fence, Inc., through its “Project Breathe.” This is also a temporary mask that must be held by a human, and is distributed to fire departments throughout the USA and Canada. It is intended for resuscitation of dogs, cats, ferrets, and other small mammals injured in house fires.
For dogs that become “oxygen dependent,” the only methods available, until now, have been closed cages with oxygen pumped in via a sealed port, oxygen catheters which are needle-like tubes inserted deep into a nostril and affixed with stitches in the cheek, and cannulae—tight tubes surrounding the head with two stiff probes sticking into the nostrils. While a few dogs will tolerate a catheter, even fewer will tolerate a cannula, but almost all refuse both vehemently. The only other solution is a zippered vinyl tent, replicating the glass oxygen cages in veterinarian hospitals, but none of these solutions allow a dog to enjoy freedom of movement. The cost of intensive care in a veterinarian hospital, with a closed oxygen cage, can cost many hundreds of dollars per day. This almost guarantees that after a few days, at most, oxygen dependent dogs are euthanized. There is thus a present need for a comfortable, non-intrusive mask which can provide supplementary portable oxygen to a non-human animal.